


Halted Genesys

by lttlelostzombi



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Explicit Language, F/F, M/M, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-05 22:12:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12198396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lttlelostzombi/pseuds/lttlelostzombi
Summary: Maise Ryder is just trying to do Heleus right. It would be a lot easier if Heleus cooperated. While on a standard check-in with the Kadara colony, she gets a message from the Hyperion. The Angaran AI she’d sequestered on Voeld and placed in SAM-node has gone missing, and worse yet SAM can’t give them any information. Someone, somehow, found out about how to put blocks on his memory and covered their tracks of the kidnapping. Now with the Angaran Alliance on the line, she and the Tempest crew find themselves jumping around Heleus once more to solve the mystery.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank my beta-reader hitagi for being absolutely the best. Honestly, they helped me so much. 
> 
> I also want to honor and talk up my collaborator for this MEBB, rock-paperback-scissors. I can't begin to tell you how much I squeed at the art I got. 
> 
> So thank you! Both of you!!

 

“I keep meaning to ask him about his name.”

The statement was made almost absentmindedly as the three began to trek toward the perimeter of the colony.

“What?” The question was random enough that Vetra’s voice echoed confusion, though not enough to stop her pace.

“His name, Christmas. It’s so weird.” Maise Ryder glanced over her shoulder toward the taller woman with a small grin on her face, masked behind the helmet she wore.

“What do you mean? His name is odd?” There was a look of perplexity on Jaal’s face, though Maise wasn’t sure if it was due to a mistranslation or some other cultural difference.

“Well- yeah. It’s...Well like, Christmas isn’t usually a name in our culture. It’s a holiday.”

Vetra looked thoughtful. “Is that the one you get chocolate or gifts?”

“Gifts, well, chocolate too, but as a gift. Usually. And other things. It’s-” there was a pause then, the addition to her comment trailing off as she began to get nostalgic. She had to catch her feet as Vetra lightly shouldered her, giving her a sympathetic smile; Maise figured she understood, even if she didn’t quite _get_ Christmas.

However, Jaal’s voice cut off her thoughts, his own tone still perplexed with their conversation. “Is it not customary for your people to name their children after important days?”

“No- not usua...Wait, it is for you Jaal?”

“Of course. Many children have names such as ‘Gaarla’ or ‘Ashafeer’ for the respective holidays. It is a point of much amusement for the older ones.” He chuckled as he said it, as if reminiscing himself.

“Oh.” Maise paused. “Okay, weird. Yeah, that’s not a thing for humans.” Her response caused a small thoughtful expression to cross Jaal’s face, but he did not expand; she nearly asked but stopped short. Jaal wasn’t one to hold back information, she figured, perhaps, there was more to it, like the deeper meaning of Christmas for her.

The three continued down the rocky path in silence as the bright sun gleamed off of the nearby water. It was quiet, peaceful for once, something Maise wasn’t quite use too. Even with Meridian settled and the Kett pushed back, there was still Collective and rogue exiles, Roekaar, and the basic wildlife of Heleus trying to hinder their general progress; there was rarely a quiet moment to just...check on colonies or go on a relaxing stroll.

Vetra cleared her throat, and Maise caught her in her peripheral vision giving her a look.

“So, his name?”

“Oh! Right. It’s just so…. _odd_. Everytime we come down here I keep meaning to, you know, ask him, and then change my mind. It’s almost as if I have one of those dialogue wheels with questions to ask him and I always choose a different one.” The blank look her companions both gave her made her gaze drop and she cleared her own throat. “You know, like in the old vid-games, where you played as a specific character…” Her voice trailed off as Vetra’s blank stare continued. “Okay. So you don’t.” Maise was nearly muttering her words, her cheeks flushing red. “Sid would get me.”

There was silence for a moment before Vetra’s laugh filled the air. Normally Maise found the sound lovely, she loved Vetra’s laugh and was always of the opinion that the turian needed to laugh _more_ ; this time, however, her embarrassment made Maise not want to hear it; she wished she would stop, and began to pick up speed in an attempt to outrun it.

She should have known it wouldn’t last long; her companions were of a much greater height, _particularly_ Vetra, and the other woman was quickly back at her side. Before Maise could make a comment or break out into a run a taloned hand pushed it’s way into her’s, affectionately squeezing it. Vetra made no comment, let Maise’s cheeks return back to their normal color, before giving her hand another squeeze, again bumping into her slightly. “She would, and I love that about both of you.” The words were paired with the stopping of Vetra’s feet, and considering their linked hands, the stopping of Maise’s as well; her body slightly turning to face her girlfriend.

Vetra stepped in, a smile twitching along her mandibles as she tilted her helmet down to meet the other, the subharmonics in her voice tender, “and I love you.”

The words weren’t new or rare, but they still warmed Maise to the core. She was sure she’d never tire of them, would never tire of the way Vetra’s voice wrapped around them like they were something treasured--that _she_ was something treasured. Still, some of the embarrassment clung to her cheeks, and the returned sentiment was a bit stumbled over, though she hoped Vetra could tell they were no less meant.

“Ryder.” Suvi’s voice cut through their moment, crackling slightly from the speaker in her helmet. There was a note of stress to the woman’s voice that drew Maise’s increased attention, stepping back from Vetra with a frown, though their hands remained linked.

“What’s up Suv?”

“There was a call from the Hyperion; Captain Dunn is requesting our immediate return to Meridian.”

Ryder looked up at Vetra, the turian paralleling her disconcerted look. Tann. Tann requesting their presence was the norm, was expected; even Addison wouldn’t be out of the question, but Captain Dunn only did so when it was critical. It didn’t bode well.

“We’re on our way Suvi. Do you have any information?”

There was silence.

For a moment Ryder wondered if the comms were acting up, “Su-”

“The Angaran AI has gone missing.”

She felt Jaal stiffen next to her, and her own hand slipped from Vetra’s grasp. “What do you mean missing? SAM?”

“It appears she is no longer stationed at my node.”

“How?”

Ryder, for a moment, thought she was the one that had asked the question, the same apprehension echoing in her mind; but it was Vetra, her subharmonics tight, the way they got when she realized a situation was going bad.

“We’re...not sure.” There was a halting quality to Suvi’s voice, like she was uneasy with its disappearance. The hesitation sent Ryder into action, walking at a quicker pace back toward the Nomad, their leisurely stroll abandoned.

“SAM, explain. What did you see?” She could vaguely hear the footfalls of her companions behind her, knew they would easily keep up, and thus focused on the problem, on getting back to the Tempest as quickly as possible.

“There is a block on my memories.”

Her pace slowed dramatically at those words, causing her to almost come to a standstill. “ _What_?”

“I am unable to access any of my records between 0600 and 1400 Meridian-time.”

“What about the cameras? The hallways, the decontamination zone? Escape-hatch records? Those exist right? They have to exist.”

“I am sorry Pathfinder, but those files are corrupted.”

“So whoever did this has inside information. They knew what to strike.” Jaal’s words were no comfort, and an echo to what Ryder was already thinking.

“SAM.” Vetra’s voice cut through the air. Ryder’s head turned to her, her voice wavering, almost angry--although Ryder wasn’t even sure that was the right emotion. She wasn’t always confident when reading turian inflections, and though she was getting better, the tone wasn’t one she’d heard from Vetra and never wanted to again. “What did you mean: a block on your memories.”

“Wait- wait. SAM. There is a block on your memories. Like what Dad did?”

“Yes, Pathfinder. It is remarkably similar to what Alec put in place upon his death.”

Once within sight of the Nomad, Ryder clicked over to contact the Tempest, her heart pounding hard in her chest. “Suvi contact the Hyperion, tell Dunn to grab my brother- see if he has any information, and I want the vidcon room ready as soon as we’re aboard.”

She realized there was an affirmative from Suvi, but her mind was in too much disarray with questions, thoughts. The AI being taken was one thing, and not a good one. There were a number of factions that she knew would want to get their hands on it; the problem was, few of them should have had the ability to sneak into the Hyperion, and _none_ of them should have had the ability to block memories from SAM. Hell, the only people aware of that were on her crew. Well, and Harry… And Avitus and Raeka. And her brother. But she couldn’t imagine any of them sharing that information. Well, Scott might, if he’d been drunk enough, but he had been abstaining for the most part on the strict orders of Harry and Lexi.

Her thoughts were cut off sharply at the at the worried sound of her name: “Maise.” The look on Vetra’s face was unreadable, but her hand reached out to brush at her arm.

“ _ **What**_?”Her voice was hard-edged and she sighed, trying to compose herself. “What?”

“You had a look on your face. It’ll be-”

“The AI being gone is one thing, but how did they block SAM’s memory? How did they even know that was _possible_? As far as I know, only a handful are aware of that programming quirk. Hell, I’m not actually sure how my dad did it, only _that_ he did.”

“Someone could have...talked?” She glanced over at Jaal, “Angara have an ability to manipulate electrical signals, it could be the Roekaar.”

“It is unlikely to be the Roekaar. We are capable of building up charges within our bodies and manipulating some elements, but it is limited. Interfacing with an AI has never been attempted since before the Scourge.”

“I think it had something to do with the implant, anyway.”

“You are correct Pathfinder. It was our unique connection that allowed Alec to put up those blocks. I am unsure how someone outside our integration someone would have been able to manipulate my programming in such a way.”

“Are you saying...it has to be one of the crew?”

“That is unlikely as direct contact is most likely required with anyone aside from you, and all the crew has been accounted for.”

Maise made a snort of understanding, thoughtful but frustrated. The only people off the ship that otherwise had an implant were the other three Pathfinders and Scott. Avitus and Raeka were connected to their own SAMs, it seemed unlikely that their AI would allow them to manipulate one of their own, not to mention none of them had as deep a connection to their SAMs as she did; unique because her father had some serious oneupmanship issues: Sarissa had no knowledge that blockages were possible, and Scott--had no reason to steal an angaran AI, hell, he didn’t currently have the strength.

As the Nomad finally came into view, Maise took one more look around the beautiful landscape of Kadara and sighed. Someday she’d get to have a break; maybe take Vetra back up that mountain.


	2. Chapter 2

The ride back was eerily silent; no banter between Jaal and Vetra, no comments on her driving, even Jaal remained awake, his hands gripping tightly at his rifle; she could hear the crackle of his body’s discharge every so often.

It suddenly occurred to her what it meant for _him_.

“Jaal, I’ll tell Evfra.”

There was a quiet guffaw. “No, I believe it wise if he were to hear it from me.”

“Hey, he almost likes me these days!” Though her tone was jovial it quickly morphed, Ryder realized she wasn’t always the most couth, but the loss of such an artifact was not good; not for what it meant or for the still shaky relations with the Angara. “And it was in our possession because of _my_ choice, likely due to someone close to my crew. I can’t put this on you, and--anyway…. He’ll either shoot me or tell me he respects me for being honest with him, and _then_ shoot me.” Her lips quirked into a bitter smirk, glad when the words made Jaal let out a dry chuckle.

“You are not wrong, tavetaan.” After a moment he gave out a quiet thoughtful hum before speaking again. “Perhaps.”

Maise avoided looking at Vetra, aware of the _look_ her spikey girlfriend was shooting her. They all knew that Evfra wouldn’t _actually_ shoot her, but she could also tell that Vetra was not amused by the joke.

That fact alone made her exceedingly glad as the Tempest came into view, even more so as the ramp opened up, Gil apparently actively watching for their return. Actually…. As they stepped out of the Nomad, Maise nearly stormed over to the engineer, aggressively unsnapping the clasps of her helmet. “Gil!”

He immediately backed up from the console he was standing at, wide-eyed at her tone. “What?”

“Jill. _Jill_.”

Gil looked at her, confusion rampant over his features, his eyes darting from her to the two companions who were making their own way over to them. “What about her?”

“Does she _know_. Gil this is basically life or death.”

“Does she- what are you on about?” His vision again darted between the three of them, apparently receiving a similar serious look causing him to attempt another step back, almost tripping before Jaal reached out, catching him.

Gil gave a small head nod to Jaal. “Thanks mate. And, for the record, I have _no idea_ what you’re talking about.”

“SAM and the blocks on his memory!”

“The- what? I- no? _I don’t even know what you’re talking about!_ ”

Maise glared at him before looking between Jaal and Vetra, returning her glower to him. “The memories I had to unlock from my dad? The blocks he’d put up? We talked about this Gil.”

For a long moment Maise wondered if perhaps she _hadn’t_ and only had imagined the memory of talking to him, of drinking and playing poker and discussing their lives back in the Milky Way and their shitty dads--his face was so honestly confused and disbelieving. And then his face lit up, quickly followed by guilt. “GIL!”

“ _ **No**_! No I didn’t tell Jill!”

“Then why did you look guilty?”

“Because...I forgot that conversation?”

Maise glared, her jaw tense. He was so full of shit.

“Honest! I tell Jill a lot of things, but not drunk confessions of our illustrious Pathfinder.”

The crackle of the ship’s intercom interrupted them. “Pathfinder, Captain Dunn is on the vidcon. She- really needs to speak with you.”

The sound of Kallo’s voice dragged her attention away from Gil, whose hands had gone up in defense, looking somewhat pleading.

She pointed at him, “I’ll deal with you later. I’m on my way Kallo. Thanks.”

Giving Gil one last look she gestured between their eyes as she walked away, heading to the lift and toward the meeting room.

As the three of them crested the ramp they were met with Cora, Suvi, and Liam, their faces distressed, Captain Dunn’s image faintly wavering over the QEC, equally restless.

“Pathfinder.”

“Dunn what’s the news? Did Scott say he saw anything? Hear anything? I can’t imagine how carrying an AI out would be a quiet or stealthy business.”

“Pathfinder....Scott is-” she paused, apprehensive as she moved into parade rest, “also missing.”

The world suddenly tilted, Ryder forced out a fake laugh before her jaw and voice went sharp. “Tell that idiot to get out of Cryo and join the conversation, hiding wasn’t funny when we were seven and it’s even less funny now.”

The air got thick, tension rising, Cora’s arms uncrossed as she walked toward her. “Ryder- we had Harry check…”

Ryder interrupted Cora quickly. “Then he’s probably in the galley, trying to flirt with that one cook again. He’s not interested, I’ve told him a million times.” The words were getting frantic.

Liam stepped forward and Maise was infinitely glad that Jaal immediately put his hand out, stopping the other man from moving yet closer.

“He isn’t anywhere on or in the Hyperion, Pathfinder. We’ve checked.”

Ryder shook her head, focused on the image of Captain Dunn. “No, no. He’s just out walking. Going against Harry’s orders again. Wandering around Meridian. He never was good at sitting still. There was this one time, when we were thirteen, wandering around Zakera Ward and suddenly I turned around and he was just- gone. He was good at that, _poofing_. He’d seen some turian he’d thought was cute and was trying to flirt them up and-”

There was a hand, heavy on her shoulder. “Maise.” The voice was calm, expression more understanding than she could handle. Maise’s throat tightened.

Her voice was thick as she pinched at her brows, focusing on the weight of Vetra’s hand, trying to focus on her breathing. “When was he last seen?”

“The last report was yesterday afternoon.”

“And no one thought to inform me?!” She nearly threw Vetra’s hand off as she leaned in, fists punching into either side of the console. Dunn’s face went tight, if possible--more professional, her arms moved to cross tightly over the front of her chest.

“He is an adult and not under my command. I do not keep tabs on every body on my ship Pathfinder. No one was aware he was missing, and as you said, Scott Ryder has a tendency to wander. There was no indication foul play was afoot until the discovery of the missing AI.”

“So it _does_ seem like the two events are correlated?” Cora stepped up, and had Ryder been in a better state of mind she would have been thankful for her second. As it was, she couldn’t focus on anything but the dread she felt.

“That’s our assumption. The blackout ranges all along that corridor and unfortunately there are no cameras in the Pathfinder’s quarters; it would seem whoever did this- intended them both to be targets.”

“Alright.” Cora’s eyes darted to look at Ryder but returned to the captain as she continued, “keep us posted if there are any other updates. We’ll head to Meridian right away.”

“Affirmative. Dunn out.”

As the room went silent everyone’s eyes fell on the Pathfinder. She could feel them, waiting for her reaction, even Vetra, whose hand had not returned to her shoulder. She wished it would, her touch was a comfort as she tried not to think about the conversation that had transpired.

It was Liam who stepped up, shaking Jaal’s arm off as he lightly punched at her shoulder. “Hey, he’s probably giving whoever it is hell. Makin’ them wish they’d never picked up a Ryder in the first.”

She stared at him for a minute, making everyone in the room wait with bated breath until Maise lightly punched him back, her face scrunched up into a forced smile. “He’s probably gabbing a mile a minute about how he’s finally going on an ‘Adventure.”

And with that, the tension broke. Liam gave her a lopsided grin. “Not that much different from another Ryder, right?”

“Oh ha ha Kosta.” And with that her tone flipped, completely professional. “Now, we have about eight hours to prep. Everyone, dismissed; go get some sleep. I know I could use some,” and without another word, Maise was gone, turning on her heel, down the ramp, and past Research. No one followed.

She was glad, as it made locking the door to her quarters behind her that much easier. Her space-hamster (she really was going to have to name the thing, Scott kept getting on her case about it) squeaked at her, though she ignored it in favor of flopping face first onto the mattress. The blankets muffled her agonized scream.

Her stomach was knotting, a tight hard ball of pain that kept threatening to rise in her throat. Swallowing had become difficult, her eyes hurt and she sat up to punch the window, a release for her growing tension; her fist crackled blue as her biotics wavered with her emotions.

“You know, cracking that would make sleeping in here rather problematic.”

Maise’s head whipped around before she simply let herself flop back onto the mattress, this time face up, eyes closed. “Usually locked doors mean ‘Keep Out’, or at least they do for humans.”

Vetra moved to sit down next to her, hand reaching out to brush back her girlfriend’s hair. “Turians too. But I’m not really either of those. And, I have the key.”

Maise let out a breath, focusing on the gentle scratch of Vetra’s talons through her hair. It was that or cry, and she didn’t have the luxury to do the latter, not if she was going to find her brother. For Vetra’s part she didn’t stop, didn’t speak, just kept up her delicate ministrations, the sharp tips a gentle ghosting over her skin. Her breath began to even out and it was then that she forced herself to sit up, if she let her continue she’d never get anything accomplished, and they had so little time.

Still, the companionship and the touch was needed, for just a moment longer she leaned into Vetra, letting her head find the niche in her carapace that it did so often.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she responded back, voice thick. Vetra’s head dropped slightly, almost nuzzling at her hair, making Maise’s chest fill with warmth, and again she had to swallow down the hardened lead ball that sat in her gut. “You know, this is just his style.”

“Getting kidnapped?”

Maise snorted. “Yes. He probably heard some ruckus, got up and instead of calling Dunn or, hell, the security that is supposed to be posted outside his door, he decided to take it upon himself to save the day.” Slowly she sat up, stretching out her neck, though not standing. “He was always doing shit like that, determined to be the hero.”

“Sounds like it’s a family trait.” There was a playful thrumming quality to her voice and Maise simply shot her a look (though there was a layer of fondness to it).

“Yeah, well, I could back it up. Hell, I usually had to back _him_ up. I guess it’s nice that a whole other galaxy hasn’t changed him that much…” With that, she finally stood, moving toward her desk only to feel the gentle grasp of Vetra’s hand stop her.

“Hey,” Vetra followed, towering over her in a way that was somehow comforting, Maise stepping in a bit closer. “We’ll find him, love. I’ll get in touch with some of my contacts, whoever did this- they’ll have to have left some trace. They stole a loud-mouthed belligerent AI and the Pathfinder’s brother, we might not have video or audio, but there will be paperwork. Somewhere. We just have to find the person that filed it.”

Despite everything, the gesture, the promise, she reached out to clasp both Vetra’s hands. “Thank you. Just- thank you.”

The turian’s mandibles slightly twitched, a sympathetic smile crossing her face. “Now, please try and get some rest. Please?”

“Vetra-”

“For me?”

Maise sighed, not meeting the taller woman’s eyes for a moment before nodding her head. “Alright.”

“Thank you.” And with a quick kiss she was gone, leaving Maise to her own thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryder had _tried_ to get some rest. Really, she had. It had not been her fault that Tann had called, then Addison, and then just as she’d snuck back to her quarters Jaal had apologetically showed up and she’d had to go back to deal with Evfra.

Which was why she was storming toward the airlock with Liam and Jaal, glowering at the door, trying hard not to lean over and instead strangle the Angaran who was still looking remorseful.

Instead she turned to Liam and aggressively punched the button to open the door. “I’m going to kill your boyfriend.”

Liam sputtered, hands rising indignantly but for a half moment before his eyes caught Jaal’s and he just let out a defeated breath. “Yeah, me too.” The muttered words were resigned and for a moment, Maise felt like laughing, felt like everything was normal, just another mission: just the galaxy’s future in their hands rather than her brother’s life and the tenuous alliance with another culture.

“Come on, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can head back to Meridian.”

Even after so many months, she still marvelled at the beauty of Aya, the lush plant-life, the clear multi-colored sky. It was not home, it never would be (nor did she ever want it to be), but it didn’t change how much she enjoyed its spirit.

She wasn’t sure if it was her stance or the fact that she was flanked by two rather imposing figures, but for once she was not stopped by either angaran and milky-wayer a like; hell, it seemed like everyone in their path just stepped aside for them. Clearly they were walking with a purpose that kept their normal fans at bay.

Liam leaned over slightly as they power-walked, his voice a whisper. “Why are we here again?”

“We must retrieve the Moshae.”

“I know that, but- like, why? You all have ships, right? This is, what? Eight hours out of the way?”

Ryder nearly stepped on Liam’s foot, but contained the urge, it would only have been a tourniquet to what she wanted to do to Jaal. “Because. _Someone here_ thought it pertinent to contact a certain _other someone_ before we had all the information. A certain cranky someone that previously had just started to actually _like_ me.”

“I did apologize.”

Liam glanced at Jaal but continued to speak to her. “That- so _why_ are **_we_** picking her up?”

Ryder sighed, stopping at the front of the Resistance headquarters to allow the two guards to scan all of them. “Because, this is the middle ground solution where Evfra doesn’t kill us.”

“He would not do something so rash. There is an alliance after all.”

“Thanks Jaal. Great vote of confidence there.”

“I-”

“You’re clear.” The guard interrupted as he lowered his scanner, nodding to the other one to open the door.

Ryder didn’t bother to continue the conversation with Jaal, simply stepped through the door and heard Liam say some form of thanks to the men as he followed her through. It was the reason she’d brought him along, he was good with the manners, good at remembering things like that, and he worked well with the Angara. She realized she’d have to remember to thank him later, when she wasn’t feeling so murderous.

As they walked, a young soldier came up to them, nearly bouncing on her feet; Ryder thought she looked vaguely familiar, but had a hard time deciphering female angara from one another (something she’d only admitted to Vetra in private); it was only another reason to have Liam with them, who, in true fashion, immediately stepped up, his grin as wide as his cheeks.

“Yivfaar!”

She’d never admit it, but she was jealous of how easy it was for him to interact with strangers, his angaran greeting effortlessly executed as they came together.

“Kosta! Verand sends her greetings!”

“Yeah? Tell her I say ‘ta’ back, and that she owes me a drink.”

The woman laughed, “I will do so, Liam Kosta.” She paused after that however, looking between Ryder and Jaal, as if she wanted to speak but unsure of his company.

“They’re solid, Yivfaar. My team- Ryd-”

“You don’t have to introduce _the Pathfinder_ Kosta. Everyone knows who she is. Or Jaal Ama Darav. Sir.” Her head nodded slightly at him, a gesture Ryder noticed was returned.

Liam laughed, “sure, sure, we can-”

“Liam.” Ryder interrupted with a snap; they didn’t have time, as much as she usually encouraged that sort of behavior.

“Right. Go on ahead Pathfinder, let me just catch up, yeah?”

Ryder stared at him and then at the younger woman before nodding. With the alliance on shaky grounds considering the AI situation, letting him continue to charm the populace wouldn’t hurt. “Just be ready to go.”

“You know it boss.” And with that she watched the two of them walk off. She glanced at Jaal, who simply shrugged a shoulder as they made their way into Evfra’s office.

The room was strangely quiet, besides Evfra and the Moshae, the machines that lined the sides of the room were empty of the soldiers that usually deployed people and resources to their much needed destinations.

Jaal moved to take the lead, and honestly, Ryder had no problems letting him. Evrfa intimidated her.

“Evfra.”

“Jaal Ama Darav.”

The use of his full name caused them both to halt. Ryder felt like a child being reprimanded, though as far as she knew Evfra and Jaal were basically the same age. Then again, she had thought the Moshae had been young and sprightly when they’d first met, so she clearly wasn’t a good read of angaran ages.

“A serious breach of trust has occurred. It will not be forgotten easily, Pathfinder. The AI should have been returned to us or destroyed from the beginning.”

She scoffed. “I’m not saying the Initiative hasn’t screwed up, or that you’re even wrong to be angry. I’d be angry, but she was more comfortable leaving with SAM. I knew he’d be able to better contain her, and stop her from going on some robot rampage. Honestly, she should never have been able to be kidnapped. We had so many precautions in place-”

“Clearly they were not enough.” He snapped back.

“Yeah? Whoever took her got through another AI’s security. Taking her from you would have been a cakewalk. In fact! Probably would have happened twice as fast!”

They were leaning into one another, voices rising; Evfra was now nearly snarling as he went for a rebuttal-

“Enough!”

The Moshae did not move, though her arms were crossed as she looked amongst them. “We are not here to place blame. We are here to learn and determine how this came about. Am I correct in hearing that your brother was also taken, Pathfinder?”

“Yes,” Maise’s voice lowered, “he was.”

“Evfra. We will be going. I will aid their investigations, since, in all likelihood, there are angaran involved. As we both know.”

The statement was jolting. Ryder wanted to question, but the look on both the Moshae’s face and Evfra’s told her enough to keep her mouth shut. She was simply glad, as she glanced over at Jaal, that he looked just as confused.

Evfra seemed resigned, he let out a breath that seemed to tear him from the inside, but he nodded. “Go. I want constant updates.”

“Affirmative.” “Of course.” She and Jaal said in tandem, Jaal quickly turning to the Moshae to offer his arm to her.

“Moshae.”

“Jaal.” Her voice was almost indulgent, she did not take his offer, and instead walked steadfast past both of them.

Ryder watched the two of them go before she turned, Evfra and her eyes meeting. “They took my brother. They **will** pay.”

Silence met her statement. Until…

A nod.

It was enough. 

______

Standing at the ramp of the ship, Ryder looked over the planet one final time. As she’d walked back to the Tempest she’d promised herself if they found the AI it would be coming back to Aya. Her original choice had been made in the moment, decided because it was scared and angry and if anyone could talk to it, it was its own kind. Clearly that hadn’t worked. SAM’s updates told her of its deep mistrust, its continued anger; they were getting nowhere and with the kidnapping, it was more trouble than it was worth. If the angara wanted it, they could have it.

All they had to do now was get it back.

Gil met her as she crested the ramp, she didn’t even look at him.

“Ah, come on now. I didn’t tell Jill!”

Maise walked to the console tapping out a few commands and the ramp began to close. She stared at it rather than turn to Gil. “I know.”

“And even if I did she wouldn’t hav- Wait. You _know_. Then what’s all this?” He gestured between them.

She looked at him for a long moment, toyed with telling him how she’d never been without her brother besides a few months at a time, how they always called each other whenever they had a problem, no matter how stupid, how they were the only ones to have each other’s backs because their parents had been too “busy”, how the months he’d been in a coma had been agony for her. Instead she walked away, leaving the man agape behind her.

She tried not to continue to think about those things as she headed to her quarters, tried not to recall his stupid grin when she told him he could join the crew once Harry cleared him. Or how scared she’d been when she’d looked down at his comatose body, his breath so slight she kept putting her hand on his chest to make sure he was still alive.

“Pathfinder.”

Her head shot up at the voice and gave a small polite smile at the person she found in her quarters. “Moshae. I hope you’re comfortable?”

“Yes, of course. Now please, come. Sit.”

It was strange to be invited into one's own room, but she listened, taking a seat on the small couch, watching as the Moshae did the same perpendicular to her. Her back was stiff, she didn’t like the look the older angara was giving her.

“If there is something you need I’m sure-”

“I simply ask for your company, Pathfinder. You look as though you could use some of that right now.”

“I- “

“Tell me of your family. It is strange to think of such a journey of a life in another galaxy, to travel across the stars. Your whole family made this trip, correct?”

“Ye-” her voice cracked, she cleared it, “yeah. Though I’m really the only one that’s gotten to _see_ it. What with Dad and Scott…” she paused, looking down at her feet. “Well, I guess Scott has now. Even if it is just from the inside of a ship’s brig.” Maise pinched at her eyes before bending down slightly to put her elbows on her knees, trying to force the returned knot down her throat.

The Moshae’s hand reached out and gently touched her forearm. “We tell one another in times like these: ‘be the bald yaariif’.”

Maise’s head shot up and she stared at the other woman; reached up to lightly touch the back of her ear, where the translator chip was situated. “I’m...sorry. Did you say a bald- what?”

The laugh that proceeded was low, somehow not insulting even though she wasn’t totally sure she wasn’t being insulted. “Be the bald yaariif. It is a creature that was once found on Kadara. As hatchlings they would be covered in a down-fur, it was not until they went through fire that they became adults, burning away the down.”

“I’m assuming the fire is metaphorical?”

“It is not.” The Moshae chuckled quietly. “Or rather, it was the acidic water that once did it. This was before the water- or perhaps, better stated, before _you_ \- made it hospitable. It is a reminder that growth happens not from an easy life, but one that is difficult. You are a strong creature Maise Ryder, formed by this difficult journey you have undertaken. It is important to remember in such adversity. Do not lose hope.”

The knot was back. She took a deep breath, forcing the air heavy from her lungs. “Thank you Moshae, I will- try not to.”


	4. Chapter 4

She turned to Kallo, voice biting. “What do you mean Liam’s not aboard?”

It was Suvi who answered, as Kallo just looked up at her wide-eyes even wider. “He contacted us and said he had to follow a lead and would catch up with us on Meridian.”

“And no one bothered to tell me? I’m- I’m basically the captain! You can’t just _not_ tell me-”

“You were with the Moshae, ma’am. We felt it imperative not to bother you.”

The use of the formal title was hard, a clear jab at her own demand to a position of authority. One she did not like, both because of the sarcasm and in general use of the title. She saw everyone on the Tempest as a team. She didn’t want her team looking at her like she was the leader, it led to being their CO and then a hierarchy of superior and subordinate. It was how her father had ran things and she’d promised herself it wasn’t how she would run things. The Initiative was about cooperation not old-school Alliance protocols.

Which meant an apology.

“I’m sorry Suvi. It’s just- I’m, with my brother and...everything else. I didn’t mean to snap at you, or you, Kallo.”

The two looked at each other and then back at her, nearly making her shuffle on her feet awkwardly, she hated apologizing. Suvi looked at her sympathetically, like she understood that fact, Kallo simply nodded.

“Of course Ryder. And not to worry, Gil has said much worse. I feel no ill will, I assure you.”

Maise barked out a laugh. “Okay, well, I’m not sure I take that as all _that_ comforting, considering, but thanks.”

“You have new email at your terminal.”

They all turned at the interruption looking up at the intercomm in confusion.

“Okay….thanks SAM.”

“I thought you told him to stop-”

“I did.” After the fiasco where he’d informed her she had new email for almost two hours straight as they’d begun pouring in after the fight with the Archon, he was only supposed to inform her if it was urgent, and never on the bridge.

Looking between Suvi and Kallo she moved to excuse herself, a hand wave to Kallo as he told her to keep them posted. She didn’t feel comfortable going to her room, not with the Moshae staying there for their flight back to Meridian, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to on the bridge itself; so she power-walked toward the cargo bay, barely knocking on Vetra’s door before she let herself in.

“Mai-” the look on her face had her girlfriend’s own going serious. “Is everything alright?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” Plopping herself down on a stack of crates she didn’t bother asking what they held, she activated her omnitool, and sure enough there was one unread email. No sender, no subject.

She clicked it.

You look like you’re waiting for someone.

She could feel her face getting red. “That _**motherfucker**_.” Maise stood up in a flourish of anger. Memory flashes of a stupid cocky face smirking at her, that infuriating wink, hiding from a outlaw guard as the tried to sneakily climb a building, watching him circle Sloane, feeling a pang of regret as his face fell as he jumped into a shuttle to escape….

Vetra looked at her worried and she noticed, moved closer. Maise shook her head and waved a hand as she pinched at her brow with the other. “It’s- we have to go to Kadara.”

“What? Maise-”

“Reye- the Charlatan has information for us.”

She knew, logically, that turians did not have the muscles and tendons to purse their lips, they technically didn’t even have lips, but Vetra was doing an _excellent_ interpretation of just that; her arms crossing over her chest as she looked anything but pleased. Maise rubbed at her eyes.

“I _know_. But if it can save Scott…”

There were arms around her, pulling her in. “I understand.” Vetra sighed softly, “let’s....go to Kadara.”

 

______

The dark underbelly of Kadara port always reminded her of the wards on the Citadel. Vetra rolled her eyes whenever she said so, making allusions to worse places and her sheltered upbringing. It usually made Drack laugh so Maise never let it get to her, mostly.

Still, the dark, pulsing lights, the lack of reputable shopkeepers, and that one time they found a bunch of lowlifes looting a dead body reminded her starkly of the time she and Scott had come across something similar behind a nightclub.

With a small salute to Kian, Ryder climbed the stairs to Tartarus, eyes scoping the corners of the room. She was watching a woman that was dancing in one of the cages, human, but something strange was poking out of her skintight pants. Maise was trying to decipher what it was when there was a hard clap on her back, nearly making her stumble.

“Seven o’clock, three Outlaws. They’re watching us.”

Subtly turning her head so she could see the men in her peripherals, she had to admit, she was proud of herself; it was in stark contrast to the first time they’d gone to Kralla’s Song and she’d nearly swung around to look at something Drack had pointed out. It had gotten her a swift knock on the back of the head and a long _chat_ about subtlety.

“I see them. Think they know why we’re here?”

“Anything’s possible. Could just be Sloane heard we were coming, she don’t exactly like us much.”

“Does anyone right now?”

Drack gave a gravelly laugh. “Nah. I guess not.”

“Stay out here, watch the door--and them?”

Drack gave an affirmative nod before the door slid open and then sharply closed, locking behind Vetra and her. The asari lounging alone gave a smirk.

“Where’s Reyes?”

“Who’s lookin’ for him?” The voice was deep, deeper than she was used to hearing on an asari, but they didn’t move, or change their casual posture.

Ryder stared for a long moment, Reyes had contacted _them_ , she wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t meeting with them directly (or was only a _little_ surprised), but the asari was acting like they’d just showed up out of the blue.

“I- well, me? The Pathfinder?”

The asari gave her a long look. “The Pathfinder or Maise Ryder?”

A look of understanding washed over her: was it the woman that worked for the Initiative, or the one that had sat on a roof with him drinking Sloane Kelly’s commandeered whiskey.

“Maise.”

The asari gave a nod, punched something into their omnitool before standing. As they moved past her and Vetra, they gave a hard clap to her shoulder and left, the door behind them clicking closed, locking once more.

Maise turned and nearly punched the door. “Goddammit Reyes!”

“You called?”

His smooth voice made her whip around, he was lounging in the exact same spot the asari had been, like he’d been sitting there for days, comfortable; like he wasn’t being hunted by the most powerful woman on Kadara and was hanging out right under her feet, three of her guards in the other room.

“ _Reyes_ , you sonofabitch.”

He gave a small head bow, the infuriating smirk dancing along his lips. “In the flesh. It is good to see you Pathfinder. You look well.”

“Asshole.”

He laughed. “Your charm, I see, is still as potent as ever. Please, take a seat, let us catch up.”

Slowly, glaring at him the whole time, Ryder moved to sit, staring at him, shooting daggers because she couldn’t shoot bullets.

“And Vetra, please. Are we not still friends? Not comrades?”

The turian didn’t move, remained standing, a hand resting on the top of a holster both intimidating and almost casual; Maise was again [always] impressed by her girlfriend.

But it wasn’t the time to fangirl over Vetra Nyx, her attention swung back to Reyes, arms crossing. “You emailed me Vidal. Dangerous move for someone in your position in the galaxy.”

“I came across some information, it was rather disturbing and when I saw your name attached...well, we were friends once, and in honor of that friendship, I thought it was best we talked.”

“Out of character for you Vidal. Figured that asari would be who we interacted with; like Ryder said, this is a dangerous place for you these days.” Vetra’s tone was staccato, one talon casually dragged along her still-holstered gun.

Reyes’ eyes didn’t lower to the gesture, but Ryder had no doubt he saw it; though his casual smirk remained plastered across his face, even stretched out his neck as if he were simply getting more comfortable.

“It is...rather sensitive information. I thought it best to bring it to you directly.”

“Out with it then, I’m on a tight timeline. You’re lucky I decided to take your little note with any heart.”

A look crossed the smuggler’s face that made it clear he wasn’t at all concerned by her threat, but he did stand, activating his omnitool. “I received this message almost ten hours ago:”

> A ship was booked from Naneo, after which he did not check in. Recent names were redacted from logs, video scrambled. In line with the Ryder disappearance. Checked logs. Ship designation HYP-10M has incomplete information, including omitted destination. Will update further. Gergo out.

Maise nearly grabbed Reyes arm, as if the action could give her further information. “Where is he Reyes? Where?!”

His hands went to her shoulders, holding her barely an arm's-length away. “I do not know Ryder, but--we are close.”

The touch and the words were strangely comforting. She _had_ liked him; hell, she still did. As Reyes Vidal, as Shena, just not as the Charlatan. Only, not as the man that had lured a woman to an abandoned cave with promises of a fair fight only to pull a double cross.

She wrapped a hand around his forearm, squeezing slightly, her voice honest. “Thank you Reyes. Just- thank you.”

“Of course, my darling.” There was a moment where it almost seemed as though he was leaning in, his lips nearly brushing her forehead but instead, he stepped away giving one last comforting squeeze to her shoulders.

And it was...something heavy, but fond in her chest that made her speak up. “How do I contact you?”

And as suspected, as hoped, he winked as he sauntered out the door.

She grinned and then remembered: “wait- Reyes!-” Maise ran after him. The guards, Sloane would have him killed!

She and Vetra ran out and there was….nothing. He was gone and the guards were still sitting in the corner, surreptitiously watching their exit as if the most wanted man in all of Kadara had not just sauntered out moments before.

“Where- How?” Maise shook her head. “Slytherin motherfucker,” she muttered. “Alright. Let’s go.”


	5. Chapter 5

Scott’s ass was on the line when they saved him. She was tired of running all around the cluster. Even in the worst of it during the past few months when they’d been after the Archon, she couldn’t remember it ever being this bad--the jumping around, the circling back. In the past twenty-four hours she wasn’t sure they’d spent longer than two hours on any given planet, she was running almost on empty. It was horrible to think, but if it had _just_ been the AI there wouldn’t have been a rush...a desperation to their search. They could have taken their time, not running around like a chicken with its head cut off, was that how the saying went? Maise honestly didn’t know, she wasn’t sure she’d ever even seen a chicken, alive--that was--she’d eaten plenty of dead ones. The hazards of being raised mostly in space, she supposed.

“We should be landing on Meridian in twenty minutes Ryder.”

“Just enough time to grab some nutrient paste. When was the last time I got to sit down to eat Kallo? I honestly don’t remember.”

He chuckled. “Probably right before we landed on Kadara.”

“Uhm, no. I had to go help Lexi with- well, nevermind what I was helping Lexi with, I _definitely_ didn’t get to eat.”

He gave her a strange look, “you and-” his lips thinned, almost as if he were embarrassed.

“I think he means the time before that, you and Vetra...it was quite-”

Maise’s face burned red. “Ah. Mm. Yeah. I’ll- I need to go….get ready for, the- prepare…. Landing. We’re going to Meridian.” And before she could make a bigger idiot of herself Maise turned heel and stormed off the bridge, their laughter following her out.

It had been so long, she’d forgotten about Vetra and their little tryst before landing on Kadara the _last time_ , the time that started the whole mess. What she wouldn’t give to go back to that, to being annoyed at Nexus leadership and running errands. All if it meant her brother hadn’t been kidnapped. Hell, she’d make thousands of ten minute stops on every planet in Heleus if it meant he was back on the Hyperion bitching about how he couldn’t go out and ‘fight monsters’ or ‘make out with new alien species’. (She’d told him a hundred times the only new species were the angara and the kett, which, sure, he could probably find some willing angaran, but it was suicide if he tried to lock lips with the kett. And that was on him, she’d told him she’d feel no remorse if he tried to play tongue-hockey with those bastards.)

“Jackass.”

“What was that, kid?”

Maise’s eyes went wide, a deer in headlights, as she stared at Drack. She hadn’t realized he was there, or for that matter that she’d spoken aloud. “I- what?”

“Hmph. Sounded more like you’re pissed at someone. Who’s skull do I have to crush for you, kid?”

A laugh bubbled out of her. “No one Drack, promise. Just- wishing my brother wasn’t such a….”

“Pyjak?”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “exactly that.”

“Eh, family can be like that sometimes. Can’t remember the last time Kesh _wasn’t_.”

“Can I tell her that?”

Drack pointed at her, growling out a fierce “no”, and if it hadn’t been months of getting to know him, it would have been intimidating; as it was, she rolled her eyes and patted his meaty forearm.

“Okay Gramps, I’ll _try **not**_ to tell Sis,” she laughed.

As she walked away she heard him grumble out something akin to “disrespectful kids” that only made her laugh harder.

“Ryder, five minutes to arrival. And there’s a call on the vidcomm from the Nexus.”

Maise’s brow folded. “Who’s it from?”

“They didn’t say.”

“And it didn’t sound like Tann?”

“Or Addison.”

“Alright, I’m on my way.” Turning back ‘round, she headed toward the ramp, and up to the vidcon quickly activating it only to have her confusion multiplied. “Avitus?”

“Pathfinder. I received a very strange transmission earlier. It was your name and ‘Aya’. No call sign, nothing. Just- ‘Ryder. Aya.’ Does that mean anything to you?”

The Tempest was usually a quiet place, it had it’s moments, tempers getting high when space-fever creeped in, or quiet giggles that grew into a crescendo after one too many, but for the most part...quiet.

So when a shriek echoed through the ship, everyone aboard stopped what they were doing, more than half started running, their feet picking up speed at a loud thud. Guns were drawn, moving to point at....

The Pathfinder.

“Maise!” Vetra came running up to her, nearly hauling her over, her girlfriend’s eyes closed and a nasty bruise already starting to blossom on her forehead. “What happened? Are you alright? Avitus?”

“I just-” he was interrupted with a grumbling from Vetra’s arms.

“Aya. We have to go back to fucking Aya.”

Vetra turned to stare at her. “What?”

“Avitus got a message- guess who from? Guess where we’re headed back too? Because of course we do. Five minutes out from Meridian and Aya. Just- goddamn Aya.”

Vetra stared for a moment longer before simply dropping the human woman. She landed with a loud thud.

“Ow! V!”

“You’re fine.”

Maise pouted, rubbing at her backside as she stood, her crew starting to disperse at the lack of emergency. She looked up at the hologram still watching her apprehensive. “Sorry Avitus, just- it's been a long few days.”

“I heard a bit about it. Any leads?”

Pinching at her eyes, her head shook in frustration. “No and...yes, all at once. There’s been a lot of running around. We leave one place only to have to travel back to the original one. I don’t know why this is new for me, I can’t tell you how many times I had to go back to Kadara for something that was _originally missing_ on Kadara. I guess, this time, I’ve got a harder stake in it, or maybe it’s all just catching up to me.”

There was quiet, the turian giving her a long hard look before he shook his own head, letting out a tinny chuckle. “I’ll talk to Tann, there are four of us now, our ‘savior’ could clearly use a break.”

“Oh god, please do not tell him about this, I’ll get an hour-long lecture on professional conduct amongst Pathfinders.”

The laugh was more robust at that, Maise had to admit it was good to hear it, she worried about him. Like he was a secondary, older, brother that she still had to watch out for; god, she was collecting family members like it was going out of style. Like you could just collect them as if they were biotiball cards.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give him the...censored version. But, Ryder,” his voice went serious, “if you do need help-- there _are_ four of us now.”

“I- thanks Avitus.”

Another nod and a half cocked smile. “Pathfinder out.”

She stood in the silence, everyone gone, turning her focus to the ever growing planet as they finished their approach. She sighed, speaking into the empty air.

“Pathfinder out.”

______

As they flew into the Onaon system she wondered if she should inform Nexus leadership of the Charlatan’s network. As they came into range, pinging the Resistance for landing clearance, they were connected with not Aya ATC, but the asari from before, the voice crackling over the intercom on the bridge.

“Land at the sent coordinates, look for an angaran. Goes by Esef, codename Naneo. Detain him. Alive, if possible. Certain parties are looking for _him_ as well.” And with that the comm went silent, Resistance ATC back on the line.

After Kallo finished clearance procedure she turned to him, questioning. “Where are the coordinates they sent us? Do you recognize them?”

He shook his head. “No. There are other ports around the planet, but this doesn’t seem to be one.”

“Adventure, then.” Ryder rolled out her shoulders, “well, take us in,” and with that she clicked over to speak ship wide: “everyone we’re landing on Aya t-minus ten minutes. Jaal, Drack, suit up. I’ll meet you at the airlock.”

She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised, as they stood waiting for clearance to depart, the Moshae appeared, her hand gently grasping Ryder’s shoulder, making her jump.

“Moshae.” Jaal’s tone as he greeted her was the same affectionate one he almost always had for the older woman.

“Jaal,” she turned to look at him. “Did you recognize the site?”

Ryder nearly gave herself whiplash as she turned to him; she’d nearly forgotten the earlier comment between the Moshae and Evfra, but with the question--she’d realized she’d forgotten to talk to Jaal about it with all the travel.

Not that it seemed to matter, Jaal’s face flushed a deeper pink, “ah, no Moshae. I do not.”

Her laughter filled the space. “I should not be surprised, you never were a very good student.” Her hand reached up to pat his cheek, almost as a grandmother would, “but, you are a very good man.”

Maise looked at Drack, awkward and glad there was someone else there to share in the moment; the Moshae and Jaal looking at one another with some sort of deeper feeling. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get use to the angaran’s freedom with their emotions, even if she respected them for it.

Drack nearly rolled his eyes, eventually cleared his throat and Jaal stepped back slightly to look at the old krogan with some bemusement.

The Moshae, however, turned to Ryder and smiled. “It is one of the Monoliths here on Aya. I periodically send students to each of the sites to record changes, update our archives regarding them. This one, it has always been different. Many angaran have been able to interface with it, more so than any other Monolith we have found.”

“Even the one on Havarl?” She couldn’t forgot how at ease the Angaran scientists there seemed to have interacting with it.

“Yes. Mind, it was not all my students here on Aya, but a greater number. If you would permit it, I would very much like to accompany you. I have a number of concerns if there are others infiltrating our sacred sites.”

She tried to control her face, she did, but the idea of the angaran people’s most prolific figure joining her team on a mission that they had no information on what they were facing, when relations were already strained, it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen; and her expression clearly showed it. She was glad then, that the Moshae’s face (at least in this instance) was just as transparent.

“Ma’am, it’s just…”

“I know what you are going to say Pathfinder. Do not underestimate this old woman.”

“That’s-” she didn’t get any further, as a bellowed laugh erupted from the krogan. Maise sighed. “Dammit Drack.”

“I like her! She has a quad; let her come!”

The glare Maise sent his way did not meet it’s mark, not that she expected it too; still, it was frustrating. “Gramps,” was hissed under her breath before she simply sighed as he once more laughed. “Alright, but first sign of trouble you turn back and run to the ship. Drack, you’ll get to cover her, old man.”

“Team long-tooth. You’ve got it.”

Maise’s stared for a moment before her head dropped to her chest. “That’s not how- oh. Nevermind. Maker save me.”


	6. Chapter 6

They had found the shuttle, crashed but relatively undamaged. SAM assured her that there was no evidence anyone had been seriously hurt. Most concerning, however, was the flight records. Unlike everything else they’d encountered so far, they _were not_ corrupted. No video or audio, but the logs were still intact, and they implied her brother had been the one flying the downed craft.

Exchanging some terse words, she’d _assured_ everyone her brother didn’t know how to fly, if anything they would have crashed a lot sooner, and not on Aya if he’d been the pilot. It meant they intended Scott Ryder to be their scapegoat, Maise was trying to hold that that was a good thing, it meant they needed him alive.

The jungle was dense, foliage having grown strong for years in the vault-active world, but there was no time to admire the view, there were the quiet sounds of remnant ahead, forewarning them of their arrival to the Monolith.

Ryder raised two fingers up to her lips, dragging them quickly along her jaw, everyone nodded.

“With what we saw back there let’s assume all hostiles. It doesn’t sound like the remnant are disturbed but these people can apparently manipulate a lot of technology. Main priorities: retrieve the hostage and capture as many suspects alive as we can. We’re taking no risks. Alive is best, but your lives are more important.” She spoke quietly into her helmet mic, minimizing the sound as much as possible. “Understood?”

She waited until everyone nodded before turning to the Moshae. “I’d like it if you stayed back, at least until we clear anything ahead?”

The old woman’s eyes softened and she nodded, “despite what you think of me, I do not have a death wish.”

She heard a quiet chuckle from Drack as she grinned. “Alright. Stay out of sight. Drack, move up to the southwest end, Jaal, head to the northwestern corner and get me eyes on what we’re headed into while I set up on the eastern side.” Without another word the two broke off and Ryder moved into the cover of trees, masking her approach around the ancient structure.

She was half way ‘round when Jaal’s subdued voice crackled over her helmet, “three observers. They are clustered at the eastern side with one assembler. From my position I cannot see anything more.”

“There’s a nullifer a quads-throw from me.”

“Damn, nullifer? Hate those guys.”

“Peebee?!” Maise voice cracked and automatically her gaze buzzed around trying to find the source of the asari’s voice.

“Oh come on Ryder, this is your brother we’re talking about, you think any of us were going to accept Initiative Regulation Teams?”

“Goddammit Peebee….”

Another familiar voice cut in, “we’re helping, Maise.”

“Not you too. Vetra-”

“Yes dear?”

There was a faint chuckle over the radio and Maise groaned. “Cora...you’re military, couldn’t you- why aren’t _you_ against this?”

“Peebee’s right so I didn’t bother to try.” She could hear the smile in the other woman’s voice. “We’re just south of you, should be there in t-minus three, if Drack can be patient for that long.”

Before Maise could call an affirmative there was a laugh and a bellowed war-cry and Maise snorted. “I guess not! See you soon!”

 

______

The lick of dark energy rushed past her, making her hair stand on end. There was a loud snap and the air suddenly filled with electricity as the small breacher crashed to the ground, sparking wildly. She was breathing hard but couldn’t fight the grin that spread across her cheeks.

“You’re all written up when we get back on the ship.”

Vetra pulled her in, laughing as she pushed their helmets together. “Yes, we’re all very worried.”

Maise’s hands automatically moved to the turian’s waist, eyes closing for a half moment in the affection. “Thank you for coming.”

“I didn’t like the idea of you facing whatever might be down here without me.”

“I just- with it being on Aya and not knowing what heavies we might meet...I thought Jaal and Drack would be the safest,” her voice went down an octave, “and I couldn’t deal with the possibility of losing my brother and you in the same day.”

“Oh love--” Vetra’s arms tightened around her, Maise wished they didn’t have their helmets on so she could have easier access to her face. Instead, she tightened her grip at Vetra’s waist, gathering herself, forcing her expression into a more professional one.

Stepping away she took a breath, hands sliding into Vetra’s for one lingering moment before extracting herself completely. “Alright. Any luck?”

Peebee’s voice called out from somewhere, though Ryder couldn’t see where. “Nada boss-lady. Just our remnant remains. There are some really interesting glyphs here though. None like we’ve seen before…”

Her brows furrowed, Ryder took her own look around, “no signs of anyone else? Not even other downed remnant?”

“It does not appear so. The question remains, where are those from the shuttle?”

“There another remnant site nearby? Could have gone there.”

Ryder stared at Drack, thoughtful. On other planets, Elaaden and Voeld in particular, there were large remnant sites far from the Monoliths, he could be right, they could have just assumed to come to the Monolith because it was what made the most sense…

She turned to ask Jaal to clarify just as the Moshae walked up, her hand lightly reaching out to touch one of the pillars, a look of reverence on her face.

“No. Aya simply has the Monoliths. And the vault, of course.” They watched as she gently traced the lines of some glyphs that began to lite under her fingers. “If they were coming to look for remnant, this would be where they’d came.”

“Maybe we have this all wrong. Maybe it’s not remnant they’re after at all. They took the AI, you have other technologies, is there something else close? A factory, research facility? Anything?” It was times like these that Ryder appreciated Cora, knew that Cora gave herself too little credit. She was smart, calculated, she understood why her father had made Cora her second (even if she didn’t fully understand why he hadn’t followed through).

It was Jaal who answered her, a small head shake as he stepped up to examine one of the other pillars. “No. This area is quite isolated. The nearest structure is two hours from where we found the crash.”

“But they _did_ crash. So it’s possible they could have meant to land closer.”

“Hey guys-” Peebee’s voice interrupted their discussion. “I think I found-” and then there was a scream.

“Shit! Peebee!” Maise broke out in a run toward where her voice had come from to find….nothing. “Fuck- fuck. Peebs!” Her gun was out, eyes frantic. “SAM-”

“A scan of the area could help, Pathfinder.”

“Fuck, shit, right.” Holstering her pistol, she pulled up the scanner and started to work over the area as everyone else joined her.

She kept up a litany of curses as nothing pinged back. “SAM…”

“I am looking Maise,” the use of her first name was telling on her stress levels, SAM rarely using it. “There does not seem to be anything in the area that suggests what happened.”

“Pathfinder-”

Her scanner dropped slightly as she turned to the Moshae, who had crouched down and her hand was nimbly waving over what appeared to be a small stone. It glowed as she got too close and the angaran woman pulled back a bush that revealed a console.

Ryder rushed over. “SAM.”

“Scanning. It seems to activate a door.”

They all looked around. There was nothing but trees and shrubs.

“What door?”

Before SAM could answer, Ryder activated the console and there was a faint clicking before the space beneath her feet gave way.

“Holy shiiiiiiiii-”


	7. Chapter 7

Blackness. The fall had been like that of a gravity well, but where she’d ended up was nothing like any gravity well sent her that she’d ever seen. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and she quickly activated her headlight, “Peebee?” Her voice echoed in the space. It did seem to be some sort of remnant site, but nothing was active; not like how other remnant vaults or sites weren’t active, where lights still glowed and remnant machines still flew around, no, it was all dead. Black and silent. Eerie.

“Ryder?” The voice wasn’t far from her.

“Peebs?”

“You find that console too?”

“Yeah. Well, the Moshae did, where are you? I can’t see outside of the realm of my flashlight.”

“I know! It’s like a dead vault. Like- _dead_ dead.”

Suddenly a face appeared, Maise threw up her carnifax and then laughed. “Fuck. Peebee.”

“Sorry.” The asari was grinning slightly at her before looking up and out into the continued black. “How do you suppose we get out of here?”

“Well-” Maise glanced up as well, “clearly not the way we came in. I mean, we’ve been in enough of these. We can just- I mean, it’s this room and then a hallway and then…”

“And then a bunch of puzzles and death-traps.”

“Okay, yes. But maybe it’s just this room? Maybe other areas have power? Everything is connected right?”

Peebee didn’t look so convinced. “From what we know...but if that was the case, you activated Meridian. Nothing should be _this_ dead.”

Maise made a face, once again looking around the empty black. Glancing up again, her eyes went wide. “Wait. Peebs, the gravity well. It still works!”

“Uh- no. It clearly does not M.”

“But it does! I mean, no, we can’t get back up it, sure. But we got down here safe. Right? We floated down safely, which means-”

“There’s still some power, _somewhere_. You’re a genius!” The other woman grabbed her head, kissing the side of her helmet, laughing. “Now to find where to activate the rest of the power!”  


______

After a long search, they’d both come to the conclusion that there was no console in the current room, and as much as they both disliked the idea of venturing out in the darkness, it was their only option. Or wait and starve to death. Of which SAM properly reminded them they would die of thirst long before they starved. Which was how they found themselves walking along a long corridor, nearly touching a wall each, their flashlights the only thing guiding them.

“You know...you and Vetra should just get hitched.”

Maise stopped abruptly. “What?” Her voice squeaked causing Peebee to laugh.

“Oh man, I wish I could see your face right now!”

“Peebee! Not funny!”

The laughter continued, “says you! No, but seriously. It’d be good for morale, and all that jazz.”

“It’s- not that simple.”

“Sure it is! You love her, she loves you, kissy-kissy, marriage, two-point five kids, and all that. Not for me, but it seems like you twos thing.”

“Even if it was ‘our thing’...We’re in another _galaxy_ Peebee. It’d be one thing if it was like- _you_ , but Vetra and I?”

“Uh- what?” The other woman’s voice squeaked in return.

“Oh god! No! Not like- ugh. What I mean, Vetra and I-” Maise sighed, starting to walk again, slowly. “There are limited people here. Like _here_ in Heleus. It’s not like back in the Milky Way where you don’t have to worry about...shit like that.”

“Ooookay. Little lost here. Shit like what?”

“You just can’t make this easy- Fine. See, kids. Peebs. Kids.”

“So...there’s probably a whole slew of...I don’t know, Angaran orphans that need parents.”

“No-” although for a moment Maise pictured it, a home, her and Vetra and some angaran little boy or girl… She shook her head. “No. Like, I mean, biologically. I’m a Pathfinder. My job is to make a home for us, which means places for people to start families. Vetra and I can’t- that’s not a _thing_. With you- I just meant, it’s one thing if people get into a relationship with an asari. Population growth can still happen there, but Vetra and me? We have to load up on so many antihistamines just to be intimate....”

“So? Bugger them. You're **The** Pathfinder. You got them all homes, if the person you want to bump uglies with won’t end up in babies, you’ve already done enough.”

Maise sighed, but it was with some affection. “I like the world you live in Peebee.”

She could basically feel the cheeky grin from across the room. “It’s pretty great, I agree.” Silence then. The two still walked, opposite sides of the corridor, hoping for some sort of change. “So- Lexi giving you those antihis-”

“Oh my god! Peebee!”

Her peel of laughter echoed and Maise couldn’t help it, she joined in, the two’s voice reverberated in the space as they kept walking. And then- light. A pinprick in the distance that, at first, Maise thought was solitary and then….

She had to cover her eyes as it burst through the hall, down along the walkway, her body unconsciously angling away from it. It took a moment for her to adjust but after blinking a few times she managed to look around.

“Peebee-”

“I see it too.”

Both their voices were a whisper. The vault was suddenly active. There was no more bright light, just the soft ever present glow that she was familiar with. The corridor continued on for around a thousand feet and in the far off distance the familiar swirling pillar light.

“Shall we?”

Moving to the center of the walkway, Maise pulled out her gun and Peebee followed suit. If the vault was active, it was possible the remnant machines were also active.

From then it was slow, no more chatter, both concentrated on what was ahead. With the lights on, the vault did not look any different than any of the others. She wondered what was so unique about it that it had been off; what had made it stay off even as Meridian had become active? It gave her a bad feeling.

“Peebee, I think we should-” Before she could finish her statement there was movement ahead and both of them threw themselves toward the small barricade before peering over.

She expected to see remnant, hell kett, instead it was a single angaran. No armor, just one man moving to a console.

“Activate! Activate it now!” A voice shrieked.

The voice. Her eyes widened turning to Peebee to see if she recognized it. Peebee looked confused instead.

“A.I.,” she mouthed, though Peebee didn’t seem to get it, shrugging her lack of understanding. Maise tried again and eventually as she continued to fail communicating silently, she waved her hand.

Looking around the space, she could not find the AI anywhere and the angaran did not look armed. She figured it was now, or never.

Standing slowly, she began to walk toward the angaran man. “Hello.”

He spun to face her, nearly stumbling back in surprise.

“Ishanjuu!” He took a step back, a terrified expression across his face. Only made worse as Peebee began to follow her lead.

Ryder put out her hand toward Peebee, stopping her in her tracks. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re looking for someone.”

“You!”

“Yeah, hi. Me.” Ryder leaned slightly to see if she could see the AI, yet no luck. “Where- are you?”

“I am HOME.” There was a rush of light from the center pillar. A strange electricity seemed to buzz in the air.

“What do you mean- home?” It was Peebee, she was slowly moving toward Ryder.

“I have journeyed here to return to my place of creation. I am finally to fulfill my purpose.”

“SAM…”

“I cannot read her Pathfinder. She is no longer in her previous construct.” His voice buzzed in her head, in their private channel.

“What do you mean?” She double asked.

“I was directly connected to the construct we discovered her in, she is no longer present in it.” SAM answered simultaneous with the other AI.

“These are not my creators, I was to protect them. And I failed. But no longer!”

Ryder glanced at Peebee from her peripherals. Gave a small jerk of her head that was met with a subtle nod. “Are you talking about the Jaardan?”

“No. They were my creators creators. They were the ones to give me my purpose, however.”

Ryder’s eyes followed Peebee as she slowly began to move around the back side of the light-pillar. “So the Jaardan told you to protect the angaran.”

“To protect my creators, yes.”

“But you failed.”

“Yes!” The rush of light again flew from the center pillar as the AI let out an angered cry.

“Hey, I mean, the Scourge wasn’t exactly something you could fight back against. I’m sure they would have understood.” Peebee was no longer in view.

“It was not the Scourge where I failed in my duty.”

“If it wasn’t the Scourge….”

Suddenly Peebee rounded the other side of the corner, but her arms were up over her head. “Ryder-”

And there was Scott, gun pushed into Peebee’s back, focused solely on the asari’s head.

“Scott!” She went to rush forward only to feel the ground pulse, stopping her in place.

“You will not move!”

“Scott! What are you doing? What is going on?”

“What is right, Sis.” He still wasn’t looking at her.

“What’s right? Scott the fuck? Talk to me, _look_ at me! I’ve been fucking sick with worry! You went missing, the AI went missing! SAM had memory...blocks....” Maise’s knees buckled and she barely had time to catch herself. “You. **_You_** \- put the blocks up. You were right there- it would have been…”

“Easy? Not exactly. But SAM was more than happy to tell me _allllll_ about how Dad had done it. It took weeks to prep for this, I’m not about to let you screw it up.”

“Screw _what_ up Scott? I don’t even know what is going on here!” And suddenly, her mind was flooded. Memory after memory flashing through her head. The blocks were gone, playing one after the other.

Scott coming in to talk with SAM-node, Scott starting a conversation with the angaran AI that abruptly ended, Scott sitting in their father’s quarters talking to the air, Scott flirting with some security girl, Scott taking said security girl out to drinks and getting the vidcon codes. Scott going back to SAM-node and asking questions about the memory blocks, Scott again talking to nothing, Scott getting angry at nothing. Scott returning to SAM-node about more information on the memory blocks. Scott talking to the angaran man, Scott sitting in front of their mother’s pod, Scott sneaking into SAM-node in the early mornings fiddling with the console. Scott nonchalantly walking through the Hyperion that same morning, Scott boarding the shuttle they’d found above.

Scott...Scott….Scott….

Maise had to take in a gasped breath, her head pounding. “Scott….”

It was _then_ he looked at her and suddenly he was bending forward grabbing his head, an anguished cry ripping from his throat..

“NO!” The rage echoed in the room. Lights burst and Maise had to avert her eyes. “I will not fail again!”

There was suddenly a burning inside her skull, like something was trying to drill into her brain.

“If he will not help, _you_ will.” The voice was angry, it seemed to pulse poison with every syllable into her skull.

“SAM…” Maise begged.

Silence.

“He cannot help you, _I_ have these pathways now. You are _mine_.”

Without her control Maise took a step forward. Everything around her seemed to waver with a strange pixelation, like she was watching an old vid. She noticed the angaran from before, from her brother’s memories, move as well.

There was a tug and things cleared for a moment. “Path-fin-der.” SAM’s voice cut through for a moment before the AI once more seized control.

“You are weak! This is my domain now, you cannot control me here!”

Maise took another jolted step, her hand lifting as she felt her body being pulled toward the console. She wanted to fight, could even feel the need too, but it was strangely separate from her, like she was just an avatar for someone else. That she had a path to follow and even if she didn’t like it, she would do it anyway, because it was what was willed of her.

“Maise!”

The voice confused her. Her head seemed to turn slowly toward the sound. For a moment she had clarity; it was Vetra, a worried look on her face, but it quickly snapped shut. She didn’t understand why the turian was worried. But it didn’t matter, the only thing that mattered was getting to the console. It was the only thing that ever mattered.

“Stop her!” Scott’s voice was strained, like he was in pain. She glanced in his direction but when she did her head exploded again in horrible pain.

“Do not be distracted! You must activate it!” The voice pulsed red in her mind.

Maise was sure that the lights were doing something strange but her vision was wavering, it seemed as though the console was the only thing that _didn’t_ make her head hurt.

There was a loud bang, someone was screaming, and yet, still she moved forward. There was another voice, faint, she was having a hard time discerning if it was coming from within or from outside, stimuli was all filtered through that strange pixelation; Maise blinked trying to clear it away. “What?”

“I said- what are you doing?” Vetra was suddenly in view, crisper than the world around her.

“Fixing everything.” She didn’t know why she said it, it just seemed the _right_ thing to say.

“Fixing what Maise? Love, what has she done to you?” A talon reach up to touch her face, Ryder’s brow folded and she pushed her back.

 

 

“She hasn’t done _anything_ , I just need to do this.”

“No, Maise. Come on, back away. Let’s figure this out.” Vetra’s hand moved to her chest, gently holding her in place.

“Move, Vetra.” Her own voice got terse, she was _stopping_ her. How dare she! Something in her mind prodded at her angrily. “ ** _Move_**.”

The turian stood her ground. “No. Not until you talk to me. Look at me.”

Instead, Maise reached for her gun. “I said- Move.”

Vetra did back up, hands raising slightly, defensively, but did not get out of the way.

“Vetra…”

“Come on, focus. Look at me Maisey. It’s _me_.”

There was a burst of pain but her aim remained steady, she shook her head trying to shake the pain from her skull, gritted her teeth. “Stop,” the words were pushed from a tight jaw. “Get- out of the way-”

Vetra took her struggle as a sign, and stepped forward.

The thunderous boom that cascaded throughout the vault seemed to stop time. Vetra’s eyes grew wide as her hands moved to her gut. Maise saw the flicker of her mandibles, the pain and surprise and she too looked down. Blue blood was splattered.

She dropped the gun.

“Oh my god- Vetra, baby-” and then her head blossomed in pain. White clouded her vision, nothing remained but the agony.


	8. Chapter 8

Something smelled...wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it made her gut twist. Her mouth suddenly was over producing saliva and her stomach flopped, she threw herself, twisting her body over the side of the bed to vomit. “Oh, fuck.” Using the back of her hand to wipe at her mouth, Maise laid back down, covering her eyes from the bright light above her.

“I didn’t die again, did I?” There was a quiet laugh that she recognized. “Oh god, I did.”

“No. You didn’t, although it was just.” Lexi’s voice was low, as if she was aware that Maise head was living in migraine-ville. Actually, she probably did.

“What happened?” She tried to recall the last thing she remembered and then she flung herself up, ignoring the way her head cracked in pain. “Vetra!”

“Is fine.”

“But I…. _shot_ her.” She gagged, nearly threw up again, head buried into her hands. “Oh god, I shot her.”

“No, the AI shot her, she just used your hand to do so.”

“It doesn’t- Lexi, I still _did_ it.”

“I will argue consent and burden of guilt later. Right now you need to lie back down.”

For a moment Maise stubbornly remained upright, but her head _did_ hurt more than she could remember it doing so in a long time, so as passive aggressively as one could, she lowered herself back to the bed, once more closing her eyes. “Where’s Scott?”

“Next to you.” His voice sounded drained, as tired as she felt.

That time when she tried to fling herself up, Lexi’s hand was there to stop her. She opted to turn instead and nearly cried upon seeing him. “Fuck. I’d forgotten how ugly you were.”

“Right back at you.” He smiled tiredly, she could see the stress and pain pinching at the corners; she reached out a hand, one that he gladly took. The weight of his hand was comforting, familiar calluses, and the once broken pinky finger from when they were ten and she’d had to beat up some boys for him. Maise wiped at her eyes, she wanted to ask what had happened, what they’d (hopefully) stopped, but her head still throbbed and her chest was heavy with exhaustion. It could wait.

Her voice began to trail off, “love you little brother…”

______

“What do you mean it still went off?”

“Well- when Liam showed up...”

“Yes, which, I want to know _about_ \- but first-”

“When Liam showed up it was the distraction we needed and he shot the console while his Angaran friend,”

“Yivfaar.”

“Yeah, her, grabbed the other angaran as he was trying to also get to it. That was about the time-” Peebee looked apologetic as she waved a hand toward Vetra, whose arm was still in a sling, and Maise felt another rush of guilt, but tried to focus.

“Alright...and….”

“And then Scott got up and did something to another console and suddenly the AI shut down. Or at least, she stopped screaming and demanding someone ‘Activate It!’” Peebee did a terrible impression of the AI’s voice before continuing, “so we thought it was over. Cora went to help Vetra, Jaal went to help face, and the Moshae and Drack ran up to you. I think you’d passed out by then?”

“So...why are you saying it still activated?”

“Well-” she looked over at Jaal and Liam and Liam coughed, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“We lost the angaran guy.”

“You _lost_ him?”

“He escaped.” Jaal interjected as if that somehow made it better.

“Scott and I are a migraine-mess, that guy could not be any better, how the hell did he escape?”

It was Lexi who answered, typing some command into her omnitool lighting up the vidcon with an image of a human brain. “Its speculation, but I don’t think whatever the AI was doing to you and Scott was the same as to the angaran. Look, here- and here,” she pointed at two areas of the brain, they were dark, splotchy. “It’s your implant site. It is almost burnt out. I think it was similar to how you and Scott interact with the remnant, where as the angaran, well- they were created by the Jaardan, it's my belief they were _made_ to be able to interact with it. It is highly likely he experienced little to no ill-effects from the interaction with the AI.”

“Fantastic. So, he fought back? Jaal, you couldn’t take one guy?” She was simply trying to tease him, but the look on his face was almost ashamed.

“He was distracted.” Peebee was nearly smirking.

“Oh my god.” She looked between Liam and Jaal, “really, you two?”

“It wasn’t like that!” Liam looked indignant, shooting Peebee a glare.

“That only makes me feel more like that’s exactly what it was.”

“Yivfaar was hit, I misjudged the distance Liam was from the man and moved to attend to her.”

“Liam?”

He didn’t make eye contact with her. “I didn’t realize...Jaal was going for Yivfaar.”

Maise stared at him.

“Give them some slack, Pathfinder. It’s been almost a week.” Gil was grinning, smirking really; Liam made a rude gesture at him. Maise opted to ignore them.

“So, he got away.”

“He ran down a hall and Liam did take chase, to be fair.”

“Thank you Cora.” Liam chest almost seemed to puff with pride.

“You tried to hug air.” Cora, for her part was smirking.

Liam gapped, “nevermind, I rescind my thanks.”

Cora’s smirk settled deeper, though continued on speaking, tone serious. “But then Scott started convulsing and getting back to the Tempest was a priority.”

The thought of her brother….she shook her head, he was right next to her, no worse for wear. Still, she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly as if that was the only way to protect him. He gave her an incredulous look, but didn’t pull away. She was thankful.

“We were about halfway to the ship when a burst of light shot out of the top of the Monolith.” Peebee was gesticulating wildly with her hands. “But then nothing! Nothing changed. You know how when we activate a vault it sort of- I don’t know- things just change? In the atmosphere?”

Maise nodded.

“It didn’t do that, it did- nothing! Burst of light and then- Normal.”

Maise turned to Scott. “Do you know what she was trying to do? She was in your mind the longest.”

He gave a small shrug, but his eyes looked haunted, far away. “Not- really. I mean, she took over your head too, right? There wasn’t a lot of information in that exchange, right? Just….control. I figured out pretty early what she was doing, since it felt a lot like…” he paused and Maise squeezed his hand.

“The Archon.”

His voice was a whisper, “yeah,” but he then quickly cleared his throat, “so, when I put the blocks up I didn’t tell her you’d be able to see the stuff later. Hoped you’d find me, fix it. And look, you saved me- again.”

Maise grinned, gently shoulder-bumping him. “It’s what big sisters do.”

She was glad when his eyes rolled and under his breath muttered: ‘by two minutes’.

Turning back to the group, “so we have no idea what she was after and what that guy did?”

There was a quiet ‘ahem’ and she realized the Moshae was present. “I cannot tell you what its true function was, but there were rumors a small conglomeration of angaran not affiliated with the Roekkar or the Resistance were trying to contact the Jaardan. Evfra had received intel that they had learned of a machine that could do so. It was shortly after that Jaal sent word the AI had gone missing. It was not a far leap to presume that perhaps the machine was the AI; after all, all we knew of it was that it had been built by the ancient Angara.”

“So...he sent some message out into space? To the Jaardan?”

“I did not say that, no. But it is possible.”

“Cool. Excellent. Really looking forward to telling Evfra and the Council that.” Ryder leaned back in her seat, gently extracting her hand from Scott’s to scrub at her face before digging the butt of her palms into her eyes. “At least now we have some knowledge, won’t be completely surprised if another alien race shows up. Fingers crossed they’re better than the kett?”

“They created a bunch of advanced terraforming machines, they’d have to be, right?” Liam and his every constant optimism.

Maise looked out the hull of the ship and into the blackness of space around them. “Yeah, they’d have to be….”

END.


	9. Epilogue

Her hands smoothed over the wound, gentle as she applied the medigel. “God Vetra. I can’t believe-”

“Hey.” A talon came up gently stroking her cheek before softly threading her hand in the dark hair. “It wasn’t you. It’s _okay_.”

Maise’s head shook, her hands stilling against Vetra’s skin. She was trying hard not to cry again. “It’s really not, but thank you for lying to me.”

Vetra was silent for a long moment, her eyes seemed to study the human’s face. Softly she wrapped her other hand around one of Maise’s stilled wrists, lifting the hand to tenderly kiss it. “I love you, you know. Nothing’s going to change that, even a shot to the gut. A terrible shot, by the way.” There was teasing, clearly an attempt at levity. Maise gave a wet laugh, leaned in to rest against Vetra’s naked shoulder.

“I love you too. And I’m glad I was. God…” her voice caught again, “so glad.” Carefully, as to not irritate the wound, Maise wrapped her arms around Vetra, pulling them close together.

Vetra moved to rest her chin atop Maise’s head, closing her eyes. After awhile she began to run a talon along Maise’s spine, almost absentmindedly. Slowly, very slowly, she felt her begin to relax and she smiled to herself.

“Hey,” her voice was nearly a whisper. “Scott’s here.”

Maise nearly threw herself back, head spinning to the door. “What?” A hand wiped fiercely across her nose and eyes as if ashamed, and then stopped, confused. They were alone.

Vetra laughed. Took Maise’s face into her hands bending to kiss her. “I mean, on the ship.” Their foreheads tilted to complete the kiss, resting together. “He’s _home_.”

Maise’s hands automatically moved to Vetra’s neck, thumbs brushing along the plates there and nearly sobbed at her words. “He _is_ home.”

How many times had she complained, commented that she wanted him around? How many times had she called the Tempest home? To hear Vetra remember _all_ of that? Maybe Peebee was right, maybe they _should_ get married.

After all, the future was an uncertain mess. Best take advantage of the now while they still could.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Meanwhile in undiscovered space…._

 

Risa’Vaasar nar Alarei was crouched low, the faint glow of the ruins her only light. She had not meant to get herself trapped, but she had needed a place to hide. It was dark and she hoped they had passed her by, but she was scared and staying seemed so much easier.

She knew no one would come for her. They had lost so many already, Captain Zus’Meetor vas Keelah Si’yah had forbade anymore search parties. So it was up to her to save herself.

There was the familiar clicking in the distance and Risa pressed herself harder into the glowing barrier, praying to whatever spirits might be in this strange world to keep her hidden.

She could tell they were getting closer, but she dare not peek. She already knew they could see in the dark, she’d learned _that_ the hard way. Fortunately she’d still had a suit patch left then, she wouldn’t be so lucky this time around: if they caught her. So the best thing was to not get caught.

More clicking, they were getting closer…. Risa held her breath, holding as still as possible.

Light. Her head turned away slightly as the room was suddenly filled with light. One of the creatures was only but a few feet from her. Her hands scrambled for her gun. She didn’t know how to use it but…better try than death.

Except...it wasn’t moving. In fact, none of them were moving. In the distance she heard what almost sounded like a ship engine warming up.

Then, all around her, a voice; mechanical in nature, but clearly speaking some sort of language.

> _**Traa Amsoorum ora ovodaam. Is ek seka su raasiirm ruukka. Traa Amsoorum ora7 orreaq. Is ek seka su bacuukaa uoma. Wa ikkis vrussa uir creedraam. Wa ikkis roekka uir creedraam.** _

It repeated the same thing over and over like it was a recording. Risa watched as the pillars around her began to glow bursts of light. The dead ruins were awakening around her.


End file.
